Man Charged With Stealing 9/11 Memorial Rose Turned in by Father

A man who was charged with stealing a 9/11 Memorial rose in New York City was arrested on Friday, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) told Newsweek in a statement.

The gold-plated rose, the focal point of a memorial at Manhattan’s Church of St. Francis of Assisi, was stolen in broad daylight on Wednesday. The memorial honors Father Mychal Judge, a cherished pastor and chaplain for the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), who died heroically during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Judge was one of nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives on that fateful day as more die each year because of related illnesses stemming from the attacks. The attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the hijacking of United Airlines Flight 93 ushered in a period of patriotism as well as a collective recognition that Americans would “never forget” what happened.

The NYPD confirmed in an email to Newsweek that 21-year-old Deikel Alcantara from the Bronx was arrested and charged on Friday with third-degree grand larceny for the rose, which is valued at around $3,000.

While the NYPD did not reveal any further details, according to the New York Post Alcantara had been turned over to police by his father.

The arrest comes after days of searching with surveillance footage initially capturing the suspect removing the rose from its shrine and carrying it down a busy Midtown, Manhattan, street.

According to Father Brian Jordan, the church’s current pastor, the individual had been previously removed from the building for “bizarre behavior.”

“We’re grieved and saddened by this act of desecration. We hope this troubled man turns himself to police and they in turn will send him to the nearest psychiatric facility so the healing process can begin,” Jordan previously said, the Associated Press reported.

The rose was crafted from twisted steel recovered from the World Trade Center wreckage and was donated to the church 22 years ago by a local ironworkers union. It serves as a poignant reminder of the lives lost on 9/11, including those of Father Judge and parishioner Carole LaPlante, who also died in the attacks.

The fate of the gold-plated rose remains unknown as it has yet to be returned to the church, despite Alcantara’s arrest, police sources said, per the New York Post.

Father Judge, known for founding one of the first Catholic ministries for people with HIV/AIDS, was a prominent advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusion within the church. He had been praying in the north tower’s lobby for rescuers and victims when he was killed by debris from the falling south tower.

Since his death, calls have been made to urge the Catholic Church to grant him sainthood, pointing to his efforts in pushing the church to be more welcoming to LGBTQ+ people.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.